Effects of tributyltin (TBT) exposure on the reproduction and embryonic development of the bivalve Scrobicularia plana

Field and laboratory work was carried out during the summers of 1990 and 1991 on bivalves Scrobicularia plana from sites moderately-affected and relatively-unaffected by tributyltin (TBT) contamination (i.e. a mean concentration in clam tissues of 0.4 and 0.02 μg Sn g⁻¹ dry wt, respectively). Standard cultures after artificial fertilizations with broodstock of either site did not result in dissimilar survival of embryos nor in larvae of different quality at the time of hatching. Static 48 h toxicity tests on S. plana embryos showed that an EC₅₀ of less than the nominal 250 ng Sn litre⁻¹ (a range of 178–198 ng Sn litre⁻¹, as analysed) can be set for TBT independently of the origin of broodstock. The results are discussed in relation to the reported disappearance of S. plana throughout northern Europe and the simultaneous presence of toxic levels of butyltin. It is concluded that TBT has probably reduced the recruitment into some UK clam populations by preventing the successful development of a significant proportion of their embryos.     

Acute toxicity of tributyltin to the Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda)

In order to compare the acute toxicity of tributyltin (TBT) between sexes, five species of caprellid amphipods were exposed to seven levels (0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 microg l(-1)) of TBT for 48 h at 20 degrees C. The 48-h LC50 values in male and female were 1.3-6.4 microg TBTCl l(-1) and 1.2-8.6 microg TBTCl l(-1), respectively. No sex-specific differences of the acute toxicity of TBT were observed in the caprellids. These findings suggest that the risk of survival in response to exposure to TBT between sexes is similar in the caprellids.     

A field-based population model for the sediment toxicity test organism Leptocheirus plumulosus: I. Model development

We describe the development of a stage-structured population matrix model for the estuarine amphipod Leptocheirus plumulosus, a sediment toxicity test organism, based on regular sampling of a natural population for approximately 2 years. Annual population dynamics were characterized by abundance peaks in the spring and fall, and low densities in the summer and winter. We use a sequence of seasonal projection matrices to capture these qualitative patterns in population dynamics. We compare two methods for estimating transition probabilities: multiple regression and truncated singular value decomposition (SVD). Overall, SVD gave more realistic parameter estimates than regression, although fecundity estimation was problematic. There were predictable trends in growth, survival and fecundity within years. The SVD-derived model provides a framework for assessing the population-level effects of contaminants on Leptocheirus.     

铜藻繁殖发育过程的研究

本研究观察了铜藻雌雄生殖托的形态、精子卵子的排放和受精卵的发育过程。研究发现,铜藻的雌雄性生殖托均为圆柱状,而雄性生殖托比雌性生殖托更加细长。生殖托发育成熟后会形成生殖孔,卵从生殖孔排出,靠粘液附在生殖托表面等待受精,且有8个核,被透明壁包围。而精子则呈放射状排列在生殖孔周围,排出的精子具有明显的鞭毛结构,游动到卵子周围完成受精过程。受精后的卵由8个核融为1个中央大核,受精卵经过多次细胞分裂后形成假根芽。然后,脱落在培养容器底部,发育成带有假根的幼孢子体。8周后生长成带有2～3个叶的幼苗,幼苗长达18 mm。     

Influence of salinity on fertilization and larval development toxicity tests with two species of sea urchin

Sea urchin embryo-larval development (ELD) and fertilization tests have been widely used in ecotoxicity studies and are included in regulatory frameworks. Biological processes occur naturally within a range of salinity that depends on the species considered. In an attempt to determine the optimum range of salinity, ELD and fertilization bioassays were performed at different salinities (15-40.5‰) with two species of Atlantic sea urchin: Arbacia lixula and Paracentrotus lividus. In the ELD assay, the optimum range of salinity was wider for A.?lixula (29-35.5‰) than for P.?lividus (29-33‰). In the fertilization assay with P.?lividus as a bioindicator species, the highest percentage of fertilization (90%) was obtained at salinities of between 29 and 33‰. More research on A.?lixula is required, since the fertilization success was below 60%. The results of the present study demonstrate that salinity may be a confounding factor in interpreting ELD test results.     

Effects of mercury on the prosobranch mollusc Crepidula fornicata: Acute lethal toxicity and effects on growth and reproduction of chronic exposure

Exposure to a mercury-equilibrated algal suspension containing 0·25, 0·42 and 1 μg Hg litre⁻¹ as mercuric chloride in solution reduced the growth and condition of pairs of adults of the slipper limpet Crepidula fornicata in a 16-week period. Reproduction rates and larval survival to settlement were also reduced over the first three spawnings when the exposed pairs reached sexual maturity. The adult and larval 96-h LC₅₀s were 330 and 60 μg Hg litre⁻¹, respectively, as mercuric chloride in solution, indicating that a ‘safety factor’ of 10⁻¹ needs to be applied to adult data to protect the most sensitive stage in the life cycle. However, the chronic exposure of the maturing adults showed that levels of inorganic mercury below the ‘safe’ concentration derived from the adult 96 h LC₅₀ affected growth and reproductive success.     

Influence of sample manipulation on contaminant flux and toxicity at the sediment-water interface

Toxicities of sediments from San Diego and San Francisco Bays were compared in laboratory experiments using sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) embryos exposed to pore water and at the sediment-water interface (SWI). Toxicity was consistently greater to embryos exposed at the SWI to intact (unhomogenized) sediment samples relative to homogenized samples. Measurement of selected trace metals indicated considerably greater fluxes of copper, zinc, and cadmium into overlying waters of intact sediment samples. Inhibition of sea urchin embryo development was generally greater in sediment pore waters relative to SWI exposures. Pore water toxicity may have been due to elevated unionized ammonia concentrations in some samples. The results indicate that invertebrate embryos are amenable to SWI exposures, a more ecologically relevant exposure system, and that sediment homogenization may create artifacts in laboratory toxicity experiments.     

The effect of life-history variation on the population size structure of a rocky intertidal snail (Littorina sitkana)

On wave-sheltered shores of the northeastern Pacific, the population size structure of Littorina sitkana varies with intertidal height, as larger snails are mostly found only in the upper intertidal. This pattern has been attributed to high predation rates by crabs (and perhaps fish) on large snails inhabiting low-intertidal areas; i.e., large snails are presumed to be rare there simply because predators kill them. In this study we investigate the hypothesis that predation contributes to the shore-level size gradient displayed by L. sitkana by selecting for (or inducing) earlier sexual maturation and reduced somatic growth in low-shore snails relative to high-shore individuals.In the first part of our study, we carried out laboratory dissections, field experiments (mark-release-recapture and caging), and field surveys on a wave-protected shore in Bamfield Inlet, Barkley Sound (British Columbia, Canada). The principal results were: (1) adult survivorship was greater at higher, than at lower, intertidal level, (2) snails displayed a preference for their shore level of origin, (3) immature adults from the high intertidal displayed greater rates of somatic growth relative to immature adults from the low intertidal, and (4) low-shore snails matured at a smaller size than high-shore individuals. In the second part of the study, a large-scale survey showed intra-specific variation in size at sexual maturity (point 4 above) to be relatively consistent over time (winter of 1999 and 2001 for snails from our main study site) and space (13 different sites in winter 2001), although the magnitude of these differences varied greatly from shore to shore.Our results indicate that L. sitkana individuals inhabiting upper and lower parts of their intertidal range allocate resources differently to somatic and gonadal growth, an intra-specific difference that is best interpreted as a response to spatial and size-dependent variation in predation pressure. Taken together, results of this and other recent studies indicate that phenotypic responses to contrasting selection pressures operating in upper- and lower-intertidal areas contribute to the intertidal size gradient of L. sitkana. We believe that greater consideration of evolutionary processes in ecological studies will lead to a more complete understanding of the mechanisms responsible for structuring marine coastal communities.     

The effect of tributyltin upon steroid titres in the female dogwhelk, Nucella lapillus, and the development of imposex

Exposure of female Nucella lapillus to tributyltin (TBT) in seawater at a concentration of 40 ng Sn/litre led to accumulation of TBT in the tissues, and an increase in penis length compared to control animals. Investigation of the steroid concentrations by radioimmunoassay revealed a significant increase in testosterone after 28 days exposure to TBT. No significant effect was noted upon the amounts of progesterone or estradiol-17β. When testosterone was injected into female N. lapillus in the absence of TBT, penis length was found to increase significantly. These observation suggest that there may be an association between the change in testosterone titre in response to exposure to TBT and the development of imposex in the dogwhelk.     

Dumpton syndrome reduces the tributyltin (TBT) sterilising effect on Nucella lapillus (L.) by limiting the development of the imposed vas deferens

TBT induces imposex and sterilisation in female Nucella lapillus. Interestingly, there are populations where individuals (both males and imposexed females) may suffer from a genetic aberration [Dumpton Syndrome (DS)] which results in the development of no penis (i.e. aphally). This anomaly confers a so far unexplained protection against TBT. Six populations with contrasting DS frequency were sampled; the imposex stage in females and the mean calibre of every vas deferens (VDC) were assessed. While the sex ratio in the 600 specimens examined was close to 1, aphally was more frequent in females than in males (31 and 7%, respectively). VDC was significantly higher in normal than in aphallic (DS) specimens, independently of sex and/or site. It is concluded that the vas deferens imposed by TBT onto DS females is less prone to develop thick enough so as to interfere with normal egg laying.     

栉孔扇贝不同种群杂交效果的研究 Ⅱ.中国种群和俄罗斯种群及其杂种F1中期生长发育

在对栉孔扇贝中国养殖种群(CC)、中国野生种群(CW)和俄罗斯种群(RW)及其3 种杂交种群早期(2,3,4月龄)生长发育研究的基础上进行了各种群的中期(6,8,10,12月龄)生长发育测定比较研究,结果表明,3个亲本群体各个性状的中期生长性能表现以中国养殖种群最好;3个杂交组合的杂种群体各个性状的中期生长性能均高于纯种亲本种群,杂种优势均较大,其范围在3%~52%,以CC♀×RW♂杂交效果最好;壳长、壳宽、壳高、活体重在4个生长发育指标中期的4 个阶段均表现出不同程度的杂种优势,杂种优势在性状间存在明显差别,体重的杂种优势远大于壳宽、壳长和壳高的,变化趋势为体重大于壳宽,壳宽大于壳长,壳长大于壳高;季节性变化因素对栉孔扇贝各个性状的生长速度影响非常大,6~8月龄处于冬季最寒冷的时间(11月份至翌年3月份),扇贝越冬期间仅能维持生命,生长率接近于0,温暖季节如6月龄(11月)以前和8月龄(3月份)以后各性状的生长速度提高幅度很大.     

Influence of parasitism in controlling the health, reproduction and PAH body burden of petroleum seep mussels

Petroleum seep mussels are often exposed to high hydrocarbon concentrations in their natural habitat and, thus, offer the opportunity to examine the relationship between parasitism, disease and contaminant exposure under natural conditions. This is the first report on the histopathology of cold-seep mussels. Seep mussels were collected by submersible from four primary sites in the Gulf of Mexico, lease blocks Green Canyon (GC) 184, GC-234, GC-233, and Garden Banks 425 in 550–650 m water depth. Five types of parasites were identified in section: (1) gill “rosettes” of unknown affinity associated with the gill bacteriocytes, (2) gill “inclusions” similar to chlamydia/rickettsia inclusions, (3) extracellular gill ciliates, (4) body “inclusions” that also resemble chlamydial/rickettsial inclusions, and (5) Bucephalus-like trematodes. Comparison to shallow-water mytilids demonstrates that: (1) both have similar parasite faunas; (2) seep mytilids are relatively heavily parasitized; and (3) infection intensities are extremely high in comparison to shallow-water mytilids for Bucephalus and chlamydia/rickettsia. In this study, the lowest prevalence for chlamydia/rickettsia was 67%. Prevalences of 100% were recorded from three populations. Bucephalus prevalence was 70% in three of 10 populations. The parasite fauna was highly variable between populations. Some important parasites were not observed in some primary sites. Even within primary sites, some important parasites were not observed in some populations. Bucephalus may exert a significant influence on seep mussel population dynamics. Forty percent of the populations in this study are severely reproductively compromised by Bucephalus infection. Only a fraction of petroleum seep mussel populations are maintaining the entire beta-level population structure of this species. Variation in two parasites, gill ciliates and Bucephalus, explained most of the variation in PAH body burden between mussel populations. PAHs are known to be sequestered preferentially in gametic tissue. Bucephalus would be expected to reduce overall body burden, at high infection intensities, by replacing gametic tissue. PAH concentrations exceeded 1 ppm in 4 of 9 populations, a ratio significantly higher than the 8 of 30 mussel locales in the NOAA Mussel Watch Program. Only five Mussel Watch locales exceeded the highest value for a petroleum seep population. Digestive gland and gill tissue atrophy were not significantly correlated with PAH body burden, even though some populations were characterized by body burdens exceeding 1 ppm, suggesting that seep mussels may not be as sensitive to PAH exposure as are some shallow-water mytilid populations.     

两种微藻对中华哲水蚤繁殖的影响——基于饵料生化组成分析

在春季,以中肋骨条藻和海洋原甲藻培养中华哲水蚤,以饥饿培养作为对照,测定了饵料的脂肪酸和挥发性不饱和醛类的组成和含量、雌体的产卵率和卵的孵化率,试图探讨藻类生化组成对桡足类繁殖的影响。结果表明,中肋骨条藻单不饱和脂肪酸、?16脂肪酸的含量相对较高,而海洋原甲藻则具有更高含量的总脂肪酸、多不饱和脂肪酸、?ω3、?ω6、?18脂肪酸。中肋骨条藻和海洋原甲藻分别测得了6种和3种不饱和醛类,二者醛类总含量分别为1438.95μg/g和114.58μg/g。在饥饿的情况下,中华哲水蚤的产卵会停止。中华哲水蚤在中肋骨条藻和海洋原甲藻培养下并没有表现出产卵率和孵化率的差异,一方面说明并非所有的硅藻都会对桡足类的繁殖产生抑制作用,另一方面说明藻类进入桡足类体内以后并未因其生化组成的差异对卵的孵化产生影响。中肋骨条藻培养下中华哲水蚤具有更高的死亡率,表明硅藻在浓度较高时会对桡足类的存活产生影响。     

Solar wind density variations and the development of heliobiological effects during magnetic storms

The hypothesis is discussed that the response of biological systems recorded a day before the beginning of a geomagnetic disturbance may be due to magnetospheric processes induced by a sharp increase in solar wind (SW) density. It is shown that an increase in SW density near the magnetosphere one day before the beginning of the increase in the K _p index is a quite typical situation, particularly in years of sunspot minimum with the main contribution of gradually developing storms formed by SW high-speed streams from coronal holes. An increase in SW density results in an increase in the dynamic pressure on the magnetosphere, its restructuring, and a change in the geometry and quality factor of an ionospheric duct. As a consequence, the parameters of Schumann resonances change, Pc1 pulsations are generated, and infrasound generation is intensified. All these processes are discussed in the literature as affecting the biological systems. Thus, it is reasonable to consider just the moment of SW density increase as the beginning of magnetosphere changes with biotropic effect.     

温度对网纹纹藤壶幼虫发育和附着的生物学效应

文章探讨了网纹纹藤壶(Amphibalanus reticulatus)幼虫处于12°C、18°C、24°C、30°C和36°C环境中的发育和附着状况。结果表明, 网纹纹藤壶无节幼虫经历96h的发育后, 幼虫的存活率分别为99.0%±1.2% (12°C)、95.0%±4.8% (18°C)、92.0%±2.8% (24°C)、80.0%±10.6% (30°C)和0 (36°C); 在12~30°C的范围内, 温度升高能显著促进幼虫的发育。网纹纹藤壶金星幼虫在96h的培养过程中, 其存活率在所有温度条件下始终维持在100%; 在18°C至36°C的温度范围内金星幼虫均可附着, 其中30°C条件下附着率最高, 可达84.5%±12.1%, 而在12°C则始终无金星幼虫附着。综合幼虫的存活率、发育进程和附着状况来看, 网纹纹藤壶幼虫发育及附着的适宜温度为18~30°C。     

Effects of barium and cadmium on the population development of the marine nematode Rhabditis (Pellioditis) marina

Offshore oil and gas drilling often involves the use of fluids containing barium and traces of other heavy metals. These may affect the environment, but information on their toxicity to benthic biota remains scant. Here, we present results of a 10-day bioassay with the marine nematode Rhabditis (Pellioditis) marina at different loads of barium (0-10 ,000 ppm nominal concentrations) and cadmium (0-12 ppm) in the range of concentrations reported from drilling-impacted sediments. Barium did not affect the fitness and population development of R. (P.) marina at concentrations up to 300 ppm, but did cause a decrease in population abundance and an increase in development time from concentrations of 400-2000 ppm onwards. Increased mortality occurred at 4800 ppm Ba. For cadmium, LOEC and EC?? values for total population abundance were 2.95 and 8.82 ppm, respectively. Cd concentrations as low as 2.40 to 2.68 caused a decrease in the abundance of adult nematodes, indicating that assays covering more generations would likely demonstrate yet more pronounced population-level effects. Our results indicate that oil and gas drilling activities may potentially have important implications for the meiobenthos through the toxicity of barium and associated metals like cadmium.     

水资源匮乏对城市发展与城市安全的影响

文章阐述了水资源在城市发展中的重要作用,分析了水资源短缺对我国城市发展的制约和对城市安全的威胁并提出了如何缓解城市水资源短缺的问题。